About Sierra Leone

History

In 1462 Sierra Leone was discovered by Pedro de Sintra, a Portuguese explorer. He named the area 'Serra-Lyoa', Lion Mountain. Traders mainly from Western Europe bought gold, ivory and pepper from the local population.

From around 1600 these traders switched to the slave trade. In 1787 British anti-slavery activists founded a settlement for freed slaves from London: Freetown.

The country became a British colony in 1808 and gained independence on 27 April 1961. Between 1991 and 2001, Sierra Leone was ravaged by a bloody civil war. An estimated 50,000 to 300,000 people were killed and millions displaced.

After this traumatic history, the country is slowly rebuilding itself. Sierra Leone ranks in the top 10 for lowest incomes and highest poverty among nearly 200 countries worldwide.

Religion

Before the discovery of Sierra Leone, the various indigenous population groups had their own religions. These were and still are strongly connected to nature, ancestor worship and the worship of spirits and gods.

Through traders and migrants from North Africa and the Sahara, Islamic influences grew stronger. Returning slaves and missionaries from Western Europe brought Christian traditions with them.

Today Sierra Leone is officially a secular state. According to estimates, about 77% of the population is Muslim, 22% Christian and 1% follows traditional African religions. In the villages where our foundation is active, the power of Islamic leaders, dark forces and ancestor worship is strongly felt. Despite this we believe that the Creator of heaven and earth gathers His Church here too.

Education and literacy

In Sierra Leone there is virtually no government funding for education. Teachers are therefore often paid late or not at all. Because of poverty, many children work to generate income for the family. Child marriages, lack of clean drinking water or electricity, and missing teaching materials are all reasons why still less than half of adults can read or write.

The schools that are open are often financed by Islamic organizations or governments from other countries. Education then gets an Islamic foundation, with all the consequences that entails.

Njalowei offers Christian education to children who normally would not have a chance to go to school. Through the children, we also help parents with medical problems or other needs.

What Njalowei does

Njalowei works on the basis of the foundation's four pillars: BRON. Njalowei is the local pronunciation for water source. In BRON we find the areas in which we are active: Prayer, Redemption, Education and Needs.

We support the building of churches and schools, evangelize and offer diaconal and medical help. Our vision is based on God's Word and the reformed confessional documents. All to the honor of God and the building up of His Kingdom.

Our activities do not only consist of projects we carry out once, but building a church, school or first-aid post also requires maintenance. Resources are continuously needed to support education, medical care and evangelism.